My Home Girl, Jane

If you know me, you know that I love Jane Austen. Love, love, love. I have read all her books, and seen a bunch of the movie adaptations. So I'm going to talk about some adaptations! They're not going to be in any particular order, aside from sorted based on book. I will also rate them. It's not going to be a super critical rating, so they'll probably all end up with either five stars, or one.


1. Sense and Sensibility (1995): This was the first Jane Austen movie I ever watched. My first introduction to the wonderful world of Jane, and I fell. Hard. From the first few moments, I was hooked. I was blown away by Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, and Kate Winslet. The scene that stuck with me the most was when Colonel Brandon carries Marianne home through the pouring rain. 5/5 stars.


2. Pride and Prejudice (2005): The first version of Pride and Prejudice I watched, and the version that caused me to fall in love with the story. Absolutely gorgeous version, with beautiful cinematography, costumes, and acting. Matthew Macfayden as Mr. Darcy and Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet have fantastic chemistry. And, oh man, that first proposal in the rain? Oh, and what about the second proposal, at dawn?? That man knows how to propose. Seriously. 5/5 stars.


3. Mansfield Park (2007): Mansfield Park is probably my least favorite Austen novel. I just didn't really connect as much with Fanny Price, which made the novel hard for me to get through. But, it's Jane. So I still really enjoyed it. And this version, with Billie Piper as Fanny and Blake Ritson as Edmund Bertram was very sweet. I love Billie Piper. 4/5 stars.


4. Pride and Prejudice (1995): Oh my goodness. Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy? Doesn't get much better than that. He slam dunked the role, and stole every scene he was in. This version is so great, partly because it's an older BBC production. So even though the costumes and scenery may not be the best, the main acting is phenomenal. Mrs. Bennet does start to grate on you by the time you're into the second hour, but that's okay. Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth more than make up for it. If you asked me to pick between this and the 2005 version, I would disappear in a cloud of smoke to avoid having to choose. 5/5 stars.


5. Northanger Abbey (2007): So, so sweet. I love the book, and I love this movie. J.J. Fields as Mr. Tilney and Felicity Jones as Catherine Morland were just so adorable. Seriously, precious. I so relate to Cathy as she deals with an overactive imagination from reading too many novels. I cringe when she suspects Mr. Tilney's father of murdering his wife. And, I mean really. Felicity Jones is too adorable. 5/5 stars.


6. Emma (1996): Okay. So, I liked it. It was cute, and Jeremy Northam as Mr. Knightley was a very nice choice. But, Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma? She didn't grab me. I couldn't sympathize with her like I could in the book. And Mr. Elton, portrayed by Alan Cumming, kind of drove me crazy. 3/5 stars.


7. Persuasion (1995): 1995 was the year for Jane Austen productions, wasn't it? This one is so lovely. I've never found Ciaran Hinds to be particularly attractive, but he stole my heart as Captain Wentworth. And Amanda Root was so cute as Anne Elliot. The tension between the two of them was very well done, and it was a super sweet movie. 5/5 stars.


8. Emma (2009): Easily my favorite version of Emma. Beautiful, well acted, and just all around gorgeous. This is the movie that made me fall in love with Jonny Lee Miller. Romola Garai was the perfect Emma, and so far above Gwyneth Paltrow. Jonny Lee Miller and Romola Garai together were magical. I want them to get together so bad, I could cry at "badly done, Emma." I would watch this version over and over. All four hours of it. 5/5 stars.


9. Pride and Prejudice (1980): I couldn't get through the first two hours of this five hour mini-series. David Rintoul as Mr. Darcy was stiff as a board, and super forced. Even when I skipped ahead to the second proposal, he barely smiled. Elizabeth Garvie's Lizzy Bennet seemed really weird, and very different from how you imagine Lizzy to be. 1/5 stars.


10. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (2012-2013): Got ten hours to spare? Looking for a modern day version of Pride and Prejudice? This is what you need to watch. I laughed at almost all every episode of this Youtube series. It's so wonderful. Lizzie (played to perfection by Ashley Clements) is a 24 year old grad student, and the whole story is told in vlog format. While you don't actually see Darcy (the stunning Daniel Vincent Gordh) until about halfway through, "Costume Theater" will tell you everything you need to know about him. Maybe. I have never loved Lydia Bennet before Mary Kate Wiles portrayed her. Her story line is vastly different from in the book, and honestly, this is by far my favorite Lydia that I've seen. Mary Kate Wiles and Ashley Clements will have interactions that will make you laugh, cringe, and sob your face off. 5/5 stars. (This series actually deserves its own post. Stay tuned for that.)


11. Emma Approved (2013-?): Emma Approved is a fairly new Youtube series, made by the same company that made LBD. Emma is played by the wonderful Joanna Sotomura, and she really is exactly like in the book. In this version, Emma is a life coach, and is documenting her work/life. She and Alex Knightley (Brent Bailey) work together. They have a lot of very convincing sparring matches, but still manage to convince the audience that they're in love, even though they may not realize it yet. 5/5 stars.


What's your favorite Jane Austen adaptation?